High pressure four-way valve



3,140,728 AUTICS B mMw Em i EA L R E UA A oPwm July 14. 1964 ADMINIUnited States Patent 3,140,728 HlGH PRESSURE FOURWAY VALVE dairies E.Webb, Administrator of the National Aeronautics and EpaeeAdministration, with respect to an invention of William F. MacGlashan,J12, and Harry J.

Margret Filed Apr. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 189,377 Claims. (Cl. 137-62569)This invention relates to high pressure valves, more particularly tovalves utilizing O-rings. Valves of this type have been limited in theirrange of application for the reason that conventional valves utilizingG-rings are confronted with the problem that O-rings tend to be unseatedand caused to fail when attempt is made to pass the O-rings across inletor outlet ports.

The present invention is directed primarily to this problem, andaccordingly, included in the objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a high pressure valve which incorporates a novellyarranged inlet port construction which permits an O- ing to pass fromone to the other side of the inlet port or outlet port without dangerthat the O-ring will be dislodged by high pressure at the inlet port.

Second, to provide a valve which is particularly adapted for four-wayvalves operating under high pressure ditlerentials, is also applicableto other types of valves such as three-way valves or normally closed ornormally open line valves.

With the above and other objects in view as may appear hereinafter,reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the high pressure valve.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view takenthrough 2--2 of FIG. 1 showing particu larly the inlet port.

FIGURE 3 is an exaggerated sectional view in the plane of FIG. 1 showingthe relation of the inlet port and O-ring as the O-ring is approachingor receding from the inlet port.

FIGURE 4 is a similar exaggerated sectional view showing the relation ofthe inlet port and O-ring as the Q-ring passes the inlet port.

The high pressure valve illustrated in the drawings includes a valvebody 1 having a longitudinal bore 2 therethrough. The ends of the borecommunicate with end chambers 3 and 4 which are interconnected by apassage 5.

Midway between the end chambers 3 and 4, the bore 2 is intersected by anannular inlet port 6 having an axial dimension approximating or lessthan the 0-ring which cooperates therewith. The inlet port is formed bycutting a narrow annular groove in the wall of the bore 2.

In order to form an inlet connection with the inlet port 6, two recesses7 are formed in opposite sides of the valve body in the plane of theinlet port 6 as shown in FIG. 2. One of these recesses is internallyscrewthreaded to receive an inlet line, not shown, whereas the other isscrewthreaded to receive a plug, also omitted from the illustration.Each recess '7 is utilized to permit the drilling of a pair of divergingsockets 3. The two pairs of sockets 8 intersect each other and theannular inlet port 6 but do not intersect the longitudinal bore 2 sothat the inlet port 6 is substantially surrounded by an inlet chamber oflarge area. Fluid pressure is therefore equally distributed around theentire circumference of the annular inlet port 6.

Between the inlet port 6 and the end chambers 3 and 4, the bore 2 isprovided with similar annular outlet channels 9 and 10. These channelsintersect side passages 11 3,140,728 Patented July 14, 1964:

and 12 respectively. In the drawings, these passages are shown asconnected to a common dual outlet fitting 13 having opposed outlet ports13a and 13b.

The bore 2 receives a valve armature 14 having end lands 15 which movein the regions between the end chambers 3 and 4 and the outlet channels9 and 10. The proximal ends of the lands 15 are provided with a seriesof axially extending slots 16. The bore 2 is provided with O-rings 17between the end chamber 3 and the outlet channel 9 and between the endchamber 4 and outlet channel 10 respectively.

When the outlet channel 9 is in communication with the end chamber 3,the axial slots 16 of the corresponding end land support thecorresponding O-ring 17 as shown in the lower portion of FIG. 1. Thesame condition obtains with respect to the upper O-ring as viewed inFIG. 1, when the armature is in its opposite extreme position.

The valve armature 14 is provided midway between the end lands 15 with acentral O-ring channel 18 having an O-ring 19 therein. The O-Iingchannel 13 is flanked by central lands 2t) slightly greater in axialextent than the axial extent of the inlet slit 6. The purpose of thisconstruction will be explained in more detail hereinafter. Between thecentral lands and the end lands 15, the valve armature 14 is reduced indiameter so that the annular inlet slit 6 may be connected to either ofthe annular channels 9 or ill.

The lower end chamber 3 is open to atmosphere but may be provided with asuitable air strainer 21. The upper or opposite end of the valve body 1is internally screwthreaded for connection to a solenoid into which thevalve armature 14 extends. A suitable sealing gland is provided aroundthis end of the valve armature. Within the solenoid 22, the valvearmature 14 is connected to a solenoid armature 24 in such a manner asto be drawn upwardly with the solenoid armature when the solenoid isenergized.

The solenoid armature 24 is provided with a bore 25 which receives aspring 26 that bears against the upper end of the valve armature 14 toforce the valve armature downward when the solenoid 22 is de-energized.An equalizer passage 27 extends through the valve armature 1 1 from theend chamber 3 so that the interior of the solenoid is exposed toatmospheric pressure.

Operation of the high pressure valve is as follows:

When the valve armature 14 is in either extreme position, the D-ring 19is in sealing engagement with the walls of the bore 2 on one side or theother of the annular inlet port 6. When the armature moves to theopposite extreme position, one of the central lands 2% momentarilyrestricts flow through the inlet slit 6 as shown in FIG. 3 so that theO-ring 19 may pass as shown in FIG. 4 without being subjected to highflow velocities which would unseat the 0-ring. The other central land 20continues to restrict flow through the inlet slit 6 until the valvearmature has reached its other extreme position.

It will thus be seen that the force of the incoming fluid is evenlydistributed against the O-ring by reason of the annular nature of theinlet port 6 and that, by reason of the fact that the inlet port isnarrower than the lands 20, the flow is momentarily restricted to assistmovement of the O-ring past the inlet port. The margins of the inletport are rounded or chamfered. slightly as indicated by 6a in FIGS. 3and 4 to guide the slightly protruding surface of the O-ring back intoits groove as the O- ring passes the inlet port.

While the unique relationship of the inlet port and the cooperating0-ring has been shown as a part of a four-way valve, it should beobserved that this construction is equally adaptable to a three-wayvalve, or to normally open or normally closed line valves. Also,although the port and cooperating parts have been shown as an inletport, the port may function equally well as an outlet port.

Furthermore, although the accompanying drawings illustrate and theforegoing specification describes one embodiment of the invention, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but isdefined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A valve structure, comprising: a valve body having a bore therein,and an inlet port in the form of an annular channel; a valve armatureslidable in said valve body, said armature defining an annular O-ringgroove and having flanking lands slidably fitting said bore, said landshaving axial dimensions greater than said inlet port; and an -ring insaid groove adapted to pass across said inlet port while said landsrestrict fiow therethrough.

2. A valve structure, comprising: a valve body having a bore therein andat least one port intersecting said bore and in the form of a axiallynarrow annular channel; a valve armature slidable in said valve body anddefining an annular O-ring groove having approximately the axialdimensions of the channel forming said port and at least one landflanking said groove and slidably fitting said bore, said land having anaxial dimension greater than said port thereby to restrict flowtherethrough during passage of said land across said port; and an O-ringin said groove adapted to pass across said port while said landrestricts flow therethrough.

3. A valve structure, comprising: a valve body having a bore therein, anannular channel of relatively narrow axial dimension intersecting saidbore to form a flow port, walls defining a flow duct surrounding saidbore and communicating with said annular channel tending to produceuniform flow throughout the circumference of said annular channel; avalve armature slidable in said valve body, said armature defining anannular O-ring groove and having at least one flanking land slidablyfitting said valve body bore, said land having an axial dimensiongreater than said inlet port; and an O-ring in said groove adapted topass across said annular channel while said land restricts flowtherethrough.

4. A valve structure, comprising: a valve body having a bore therein, anannular channel of relatviely narrow axial dimension intersecting saidbore to form a fiow port, walls defining a flow duct surounding saidbore and communicating with said annular channel tending to produceuniform flow throughout the circumference of said annular channel; avalve armature slidable in said valve body, said armature defining anannular O-ring groove having an axial dimension approximating the axialdimension of said annular channel, and lands flanking opposite sides ofsaid groove forming a sliding and flow restricting fit in said bore andhaving axial dimensions greater than said annular channel; and an O-ringin said groove adapted to pass across said annular channel while saidlands restrict flow therethrough.

5. A valve structure comprising:

(a) a single piece valve body having an armature bore therethrough,transverse bores approaching tangency with said armature bore, and anarrow annular slit extending from said armature bore into intersectionwith said transverse bores;

(12) a valve armature slidable in said armature bore, said armaturedefining an armature O-ring groove and having flanking lands slidablyfitting said armature bore, said lands having axial dimensions greaterthan the width of said annular slit;

(c) and an O-ring in said groove adapted to pass across said annularslit while said lands restrict flow thereover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS583,822 Shem June 1, 1897 2,764,181 Richolt Sept. 25, 1956 2,869,583Beckett et a1. Jan. 20, 1959 2,887,127 Broadbent May 19, 1959 2,899,939Norris Aug. 18, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 829,785 Great Britain Mar. 9, 1960850,222 Great Britain Oct. 5, 1960

1. A VALVE STRUCTURE, COMPRISING: A VALVE BODY HAVING A BORE THEREIN,AND AN INLET PORT IN THE FORM OF AN ANNULAR CHANNEL; A VALVE ARMATURESLIDABLE IN SAID VALVE BODY, SAID ARMATURE DEFINING AN ANNULAR O-RINGGROOVE AND HAVING FLANKING LANDS SLIDABLY FITTING SAID BORE, SAID LANDSHAVING AXIAL DIMENSIONS GREATER THAN SAID INLET PORT; AND AN O-RING INSAID GROOVE ADAPTED TO PASS ACROSS SAID INLET PORT WHILE SAID LANDSRESTRICT FLOW THERETHROUGH.